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Lost your phone? Search ‘Find my phone’ on Google, and you’ll find it in a jiffy

Google has a great sense of humor. Its April Fools’ jokes are always on point, and it often adds cool features that almost seem like inside jokes, even though they’re dead useful. The tech giant’s latest crazy idea makes it easier than ever to find your phone when you’ve misplaced it.

Simply type “Find my phone,” into Google, and you’ll be shown a map of your phone’s location, along with a few related options to choose from. Your phone can either keep ringing until you find it, or you can remotely lock it, or even wipe it completely if you think it’s been stolen.

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After all, as Google puts it, “We’ve all been there — you’ve searched under your car seat, tossed around the sofa cushions and you still can’t find your phone.” It can be traumatizing to lose your phone.

Of course, this only works if you have an Android smartphone with Android Device Manager. If your device meets both of those requirements and is hiding in an excellent spot, just whip out your laptop or desktop, open Chrome, and google, “Find my phone.”

If it’s nearby, you’ll hear it ring. If it’s far away, you’ll see it on the map. Then you can bolt out the door, praying fervently that no one will have stolen it by the time you get there. You can also do all this from the newly updated Google app on another Android device, or via voice commands on Chrome.

It’s an incredibly simple solution to an age-old problem, and it beats the hell out of harassing your friends to call your phone until you find it on top of the fridge or in some other inane place. You can try it for fun right now, if you want.

Malarie Gokey
As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…
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